NOAA
REVIEWS RECORD-SETTING 2005 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON
Active Hurricane Era Likely To Continue
[Editor’s Note: This story was updated April 13, 2006, to reflect
the final totals for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season.]

Nov.
29, 2005 (Updated April 13, 2006) — The 2005 Atlantic
hurricane season is the busiest on record and extends the active hurricane
cycle that began in 1995—a trend likely to continue for years
to come. The season included 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes
in which seven were major (Category 3 or higher). (Click NOAA
image for larger view of the records set during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane
season. Please credit “NOAA.”)[News Conference
photos]

“This
hurricane season shattered records that have stood for decades—most
named storms, most hurricanes and most category five storms. Arguably,
it was the most devastating hurricane season the country has experienced
in modern times,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad
C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans
and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “I’d like to foretell
that next year will be calmer, but I can’t. Historical trends
say the atmosphere patterns and water temperatures are likely to force
another active season upon us.”

The Atlantic
Basin is in the active phase of a multi-decadal cycle in which optimal
conditions in the ocean

surface
temperatures and low wind shear, enhance hurricane activity. This increase
in the number and intensity of tropical storms and hurricanes can span
multiple decades (approximately 20 to 30 years). NOAA will make its
official 2006 season forecast in May, prior to the June 1st start to
the season.

"Evidence
of this active cycle was demonstrated this year as the Atlantic Basin
produced the equivalent of more than two entire hurricane seasons over
the course of one. Because we are in an active hurricane era, it's important
to recognize that with a greater number of hurricanes comes increasing
odds of one striking land," said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David
L. Johnson, director of the NOAA National Weather Service.

NOAA scientists
predicted this would be an extremely active hurricane season, forecasting
near-record activity in early August. The 28 named storms topped the
forecast range of 18 to 21, the 15 hurricanes inched above the forecast
of nine to 11 and the seven major hurricanes fell within NOAA's forecast
range of five to seven. Six hurricanes (Cindy, Dennis, Katrina, Ophelia,
Rita and Wilma) and two tropical storms (Arlene and Tammy) directly
impacted the U.S.
(Click NOAA image for larger view of the storm totals for the
2005 Atlantic hurricane season. Please credit “NOAA.”)

Letters
of the Greek alphabet were used to name storms for the first time since
storms began acquiring names in 1953, as Hurricane Wilma exhausted the
original list of 21 names. Tropical Storm Alpha and Hurricane Beta hit
the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, respectively. Tropical Storm Gamma
brought deadly flooding to parts of Central America. Tropical Storm
Delta largely stayed over open water then moved across the Canary Islands
off the northwest coast of Africa. Tropical Storm Epsilon formed on
the next to last day of the Atlantic hurricane season over the central
Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Storm Zeta formed on December 30 and dissipated
in early January 2006.

With
six months until the official start of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season,
NOAA urges hurricane-prone residents to take proactive measures during
this time. "The battle against the hurricane season is won during
the off season. Winter and spring is the time to conduct hurricane preparations,
such as stocking supplies, assembling a safety kit that includes a NOAA
Weather Radio and preparing an evacuation plan," said Max Mayfield,
director of the NOAA National Hurricane Center. (Click NOAA
image for larger view of the number of U.S. landfalling tropical storms
and hurricanes from 2002 to 2005. Please credit “NOAA.”)

"Amid
this period of more numerous and more intense hurricanes, NOAA is focused
on our mission of serving society's needs for weather information and
supporting the nation's commerce," said Lautenbacher. "NOAA
is there to provide accurate storm forecasts and also stays engaged
after the storm to ensure safe commercial fishing and continued navigation
of our nation's impacted waterways."

(Click
NOAA image for larger view of record early season activity compared
to normal conditions. Please credit “NOAA.”)

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